In Sickness and in Health
by peacegirl597
Summary: Bella wakes up to a stressed Edward trying to get her to leave town. Esme and Jazz are sick. This strange vampire illness makes the victim thirsty and deranged. They'll kill for what they want and die if they don't get it. It's extremely contagious so it makes sense why they flee town. but what if he's already been infected? What does Edward really want from Bella? Twist ending!


I had been dreaming when I heard it.

"Bella," A voice sang, "Bella, we have to go…"

I was shaken awake, my eyes meeting his.

"Edward?" I asked groggily, still half asleep and in a daze.

"We have to go. Now." His tone was final, almost angry, as he picked me up. I tried to rub sleep from my eyes.

"Where are we-" I was cut off by a falling sensation. Had he thrown me out the window? Was he insane? I felt his grip tighten around my body, ensuring me that at least I wasn't dropping fifty feet alone.

The slight impact sent a rough shiver of pain up my legs. I started to cry out in discomfort when I cool had clasped over my mouth.

"Shh, don't yell… you'll wake Charlie." He warned me. I flinched slightly, and realization flickered across his face "I forgot you could feel that. Are you okay?" He wasn't as concerned as I thought he'd be. He didn't take a pause in his running, like he normally would've if this had been another one of those midnight, romantic sneak-outs to our meadow to watch the sunrise. It was too dark for a sunrise, anyways. He looked like he genuinely didn't care if I was hurt by the fall, like making sure I was okay was merely to be expected.

"No," I huffed, but he didn't seem to hear it. Well that was a first. He seemed out of it. His eyes slightly glazed over with stress as he carried me away.

"You just, you startled me. What's going on?" I sighed when he didn't respond to my 'no'.

"Don't worry. We just took a little trip out your window." He chuckled somewhat darkly.

I could smell the crisp air of night. It was pitch black and nearly silent aside from our whispers as we entered the forest.

"Where are we going?" I pleaded. It may sound odd, but I wasn't exactly used to my immortal fiancée waking me up in the middle of the night, dropping me out a window, and sprinting me into the woods frantically.

"Away." He growled. I raised my eyebrows slightly, in shock. Edward never growled at me. His eyes were shining with agitation and stress. He was starting to scare me. What the hell was going on and why wouldn't he tell me?

"Edw-"

"You have to be absolutely silent," He ordered.

"Bu-"

"I said be quiet, Bella!" He snarled menacingly loud, making me flinch and regret ever saying a word in the first place.

That shut me right up. Why was he so angry? Was it something I did? He was never this upset, especially not at me. I clutched onto his shirt tighter, slightly afraid of what was happening. I bit my lips, not wanting to cry in front of him. I'd never been so afraid of him before. He increased in speed, and I didn't dare look up to meet his angry gaze. When I did peek up slightly, I saw that we were nearing the small clearing where the Cullens played baseball every so often.

Right in the middle of the large field stood Emmett's humongous Jeep wrangler. Red and towing as always, it flickered to life at we neared it, all of its lights turning on with motion sense that Em had installed a few weeks ago. Edward harshly shoved me inside, frustrated and trying to get my seatbelt on.

"I've got it," I yelled at him as his hands fumbled around me, trying to get the metal thing go click into place.

"I've got it" he mimicked childishly, finally clicking the two pieces together.

What the hell was his problem? It would of saves us even more time if he'd just let me do it myself.

The engine revved up and we zoomed off, out of the forest. He drove elegantly, yet at an alarming speed, even for a vampire. He was pushing it to go faster and faster, and I idly worried that we might go through a time warp because of how fast we were going.

The tension inside the vehicle was too thick to cut with even a knife. You would need a chainsaw to break our silent hostility. After ten minutes or so, my head was about to burst. I held my breath to keep angry tears from falling over. Unfortunately, they did spill down my face, leaving me more embarrassed and upset than ever.

"Bella?" His tone was softer now, apologetic and begging.

He reached over to wipe away a tear, but I jerked away to look out the window. He had no right to snap at me, and push me around after _he_ was the one that scared the hell out if me and brought me on some ridiculous trip, unbeknownst to me where we were even going

"Please look at me?" He pleaded, "I'm sorry, but please..." He knew how much that word made my will crumble... "Please," he tried to dazzle me, his eyes burning holes into the back of my head. That just made me angrier.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you have no right! I wake up to you practically throwing me out a window, growling at me, ME, and then proceeding to yell at me, shove me in a van and mimic me- which by the way was the most childish, immature thing you have ever-"

I was cut off by the feeling of his lips on mine.

"Damn you're good." I muttered, glaring at him. He smirked.

"Look, I know that I was rude to you a little earlier, but I was under a lot of pressure." He apologized, "it was completely unfair to you and-" now it was my turn to cut him off with a kiss.

"Eyes on the road, Sherlock." I smiled slightly.

"Well anyways I'm sorry I was rude." He muttered sheepishly.

"Yeah, would you mind telling me why I'm here right now?"

"Esme and Jasper are sick." He shrugged, looking down.

"But you said that vampires couldn't..."

"Not with human illnesses, but something much, much worse. It's hard to explain... It's rare, but it does happen. Carlisle's been studying it for centuries. He's only seen it occur twice, whereas this is the first time I've seen the virus in action. It spreads quickly, which is why we're leaving."

"So that you don't catch it? Edward, that seems a little drastic, don't you think?" I questioned, not really comprehending how serious this was.

"Bella," he groaned "this isn't a common cold we're dealing with here. This is a disease so deadly that it can make a vampire as calm as Carlisle go deranged. It, in a way, turns them into newborns again. They will kill and devour anything with a heartbeat, and they will not be gracious about it. If I were to leave you in a room with Esme right now- motherly, compassionate Esme, she wouldn't even think about slowly torturing you before draining you of your blood. It doesn't matter how she feels about you. You have a heartbeat, you're food. Understand?" He ended his little rant.

I was slightly shocked. To think about Esme or even jasper as pain loving and cold-hearted as that sounded... It was unimaginable! I couldn't picture either of them attacking anyone from forks just for the purpose of killing.

"It's not even necessarily for food either..." He muttered, unaware if my disturbance, "they will kill and torture for the sole purpose of entertainment. Just to see something in pain, to see something die because if them. It feeds them, and makes them want more once they kill, they don't stop.

"We have to go back!" I chocked out. "What about Charlie and the wolves and mike and Jessica? Angela and Ben can't fight off Jasper!" I protested.

"Bella this is merely a precaution... Carlisle is watching them with Emmett to make sure they don't do anything drastic. He's even taking blood samples from the hospital so that they can drink the human blood they need to recover without hurting anyone."

"Then why are we here? If it's all under control..." I trailed off, looking at his nervous expression. "Edward, what's wrong? I know they're sick, and it's dangerous, but it sounds like everything's going to be okay..."

"No. It's not okay. Carlisle didn't want me to tell you this, and I don't exactly want to either, but I'm getting you out because of how quickly it comes and goes. If the family stays together we could all end up sick within minutes, nothing stopping is from going on a rampage. One hungry newborn vampire is deadly and more destructive than a hurricane. Could you imagine seven?"

I shuddered slightly.

"Exactly. Carlisle stayed behind because it was his family, and he was the one studying the illness. Emmett stayed because he's the strongest and least likely to catch it. I had to literally force Alice to leave Jasper's bedside. I brought her to Denali, where Tanya and Kate can keep her from running back. If she tries her results with be... Shocking" he spit, referring to Kate's gift. I couldn't believe he'd let her use that on little Alice. " I felt horrible, but we can't risk it. She's the smallest, weakest one strength wise. I couldn't have let her go near Jasper..."

I nodded understandingly.

"Could Carlisle as Emmett...?" I started. If it was so contagious, wouldn't they get it?

"Yeah." He sighed.

"Is it... Deadly?" I asked, cringing. I already knew the answer, clear by my fiancée's face.

"It can be." He looked directly ahead.

I bit my lip, afraid to ask another question, but knowing I had to hear some answers. It was my family, too, not just his.

"How does someone catch it?" I half-whispered.

"It's airborne, and can be passed body fluid to body fluid. So if an animal I sick, and a vampire drinks it's blood, he may become sick. That's how we think jasper got it. After that, any other immortal within feet of him for the next 48 hours can catch it by simply breathing."

My breath caught in my throat. I had one more question, but I didn't want to ask it. Honestly, I didn't want to know the answer.

"What, no more questions?" He chuckled half-heartedly. When I didn't respond he glanced over.

"Bella? What's wrong? Did I scare you?" I shrugged. "It's going to be okay. Everyone's going to be fine, this is only to ensure our safety 100%"

"You said it was deadly." I muttered, looking down. "As in Esme ad Jasper could _die._" I emphasized the word die.

"Carlisle's taking good care of them. It's only deadly if they don't drink human blood." He promised.

It still didn't answer my last question.

"Okay, what else?" He huffed. He sounded slightly angry, but not at me. I knew that voice. He was mad at himself again.

"You went hunting with Jasper yesterday." I mumbled grimly. "You were with him all day."

He smiled sadly.

"You're afraid I'll get sick." It wasn't a question.

I nodded.

"Well I feel fine now, but if I have even The slightest bit of doubt, I'll leave."

Leave. I didn't like that word. It brought up too many more questions. Like, 'how long will you be gone?' And 'where are you going?'

He must've seen my saddened expression because he quickly added,

"I won't be gone long, and I'll just be at home if there's an emergency... I just need you to stay in the hotel. Can you do that for me?" He looked me directly in the eye.

I nodded, but the inside of me screamed no. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't care why or how long. It had only been a little over a month since he got back. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I would go crazy, wondering whether or not he was dying. Whether or not he was making mistakes, and losing control. To think of what he might do... To think of the emotional destruction the would come if he slipped up due to illness... I didn't want that. I didn't want him to be hurt because of something he couldn't control.

He saw my discomfort and hesitation to agree and pressed his lips together in a straight line.

"No matter what, you stay away from forks until I call you."

"Only if you're sick."

"Yeah." He muttered, doubt filling his voice.

We arrived at a small inn in the middle of nowhere at around noon, staying silent as we checked in and made our way to the room.

I sat on the bed, concerned for my family. I played with my hair, twisting it around my fingers nervously. It was like waiting for time bomb to go off... Waiting to see how long it would take for him to become riddles with disease. The very thought of him being unwell frightened me. Suddenly, I understood his defensive reaction to when of had a simple cold a week ago. Anything that meant he wasn't 100% healthy and 100% safe created a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked, breaking our silence.

"Not particularly." Actually, I was starving, but I didn't want him to spend extra money on room service or groceries, not to mention the fact that I didn't want him out and around the city, just in case it somehow tired him out. I wasn't taking the risk of him being anything but completely strong. I almost got away with the lie when my stomach gave me away. It rumbled and made me guiltily blush.

"So, what would you like to eat?" He smirked, but I could still see that hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I don't want to eat." I said stubbornly.

"Spare me the lies, Bella," he snorted, "I'm not deaf," he gestured to my stomach slightly, "and I'm not stupid either."

Sarcasm seeped into his voice.

"I said I didn't want to eat, not that I wasn't hungry." I stuck up my nose.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" He groaned half-jokingly," if you're hungry, then you need to eat."

I shrugged.

"Alright, why won't you eat?"

I shrugged again.

"Talk to me, please."

"I don't think its necessary, that's all." I shrugged once more.

"To eat?" He raised an eyebrow. "The last time I checked, food kept people from starving to death."

"No, silly. For you to spend money on food when you don't even eat."

"You eat."

"Then I can buy and make my own food."

"I took a yearlong lesson in culinary arts. I deserve to use it on _something_."

"Well if you're making me food, then I should buy it."

"You don't have money on you."

"Which is my I'm not eating." I concluded.

He ignored me as picked up the phone to dial room service.

"I won't eat it." I refused.

"Hi, can I order a mushroom ravioli, and a medium rare stake please?" He asked, "yes, and a diet coke. That'll be all."

"And they say I'm the difficult one."

"You are the difficult one." He laughed, hanging up.

He sat down on the bed next to me and laid his hand on top of mine.

"You're not mad, are you?" He asked forlornly

"No," I sighed, "but I'm paying you back."

"You don't have to."

"Yeah I do."

"Take it as an apology from this morning." He insisted.

"Whatever."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek, pulling me on his lap. We kissed for a while, and ended up just cuddling together. I had my chin tucked into his neck, inhaling his scent, when the buzzer went off. He went to the door to retrieve my food, tipping the man at the door a hefty amount.

The meal smelled good, and I dug in quickly. The steak was a bit underdone for my taste, but I was so hungry that I scarfed it down, barely tasting it.

"I told you you'd want food." He smirked.

I was about to tell him to shut up when my stomach dropped. I sprinted to the bathroom, emptying my stomach. I groaned in both embarrassment and disgust. Only I would get food poisoning, in a hotel alone with my boyfriend out of town for at least a weekend, while he was already worried about his own sick family.

He was beside me in an instant, holding back my hair. Embarrassed tears filled my eyes as I finished gagging. I blushed, looking down. My hand reached up to flush the toilette, but Edwards reached it first. I felt his worried stare on me.

"Are you okay?" He murmured. I shrugged. Shrugging seemed like all I could do anymore.

"Yeah... Just kinda embarrassed I guess." I muttered in reply.

"And health wise?"

"I've been better," I rasped slightly, chuckling.

"What can I do?"

"Admit that you were wrong and I was right. Next time I say I don't want to eat, don't make me eat." I said jokingly.

"I'm sorry I made you ill, and you were right." He looked completely guilt-stricken, as if the thought of him getting me sick was the most dreadful thing he could ever do. Didn't he know I was only kidding with him? I was about to inform him of my joke, when I hunched back over the toilet seat.

He was gone, but back in a second flat with a glass of water.

"Here," he sighed, as I sipped. "Maybe I should go to the store..." He started. I really didn't want him anywhere other than with me, but I certainly needed something to settle my stomach, which did flips inside of me. "What do you need?"

I chose not to answer, playing it down.

"It's just a bout of food poisoning, Edward. I'm fin-" I was cut off by another round of vomit.

"Yeah, you're fine, alright. Does Pepto bismol, hair ties, and ginger ale sound good?"

I nodded weakly.

"Try to get some rest while I'm gone, okay?" He half-smiled, crouching down to look me in the eyes.

"Thank you," I smiled back, "you really don't have to."

Be just shook his head saying,

"I'll be back soon." Before leaving the room. I watched after him, wanting to order him back to cuddle with his sickly girlfriend, but knowing he wouldn't listen and end up going to the store anyways.

I spent a long time on the bathroom floor, throwing up often. I eventually gave up trying to stay hydrated when I couldn't keep the water down anyways. It wasn't like I had severe food poisoning, I just had a weak stomach. A lot of people ate the steak that way, but my body just wouldn't have it. I had definitely inherited Charlie's extremely low tolerance to certain foods prepared certain ways.

After a while I started to wonder where the hell Edward was. It had been nearly an hour, though we were miles from town, I knew that with his driving he would've left the grocery store forty five minutes ago. I tried calling him with the hotel phone, but nobody picked up.

Having a nervous stomach was not a good thing when you had food poisoning. I was dry-heaving, worried and upset when the clock stroke 4:00. He had left just left at noon. And with a maniac driver like him, the trip should've taken maybe 20 minutes, tops. I called the house, but the line was busy.

Maybe he was lost. Maybe he didn't have his phone with him. Maybe he didn't recognize the hotel's number and chose not to pick up. Maybe he'd gotten in a fender-bender and was on the phone with the insurance company or GE or something. Maybe he couldn't find a store, or the right medication or something and had to go to the next town over... Or maybe he left.

I tried to block the thought, but once I thought it, I wouldn't come off my mind. Maybe he got sick and had to leave before the unspeakable happened. Maybe he wasn't coming back at all. As far as I knew, he could've made up the whole vampire- sickness to get away from me. I mean, I'd never even heard of it, and he was the only family member Id spoken to. What if he told me to wait in the hotel so that I couldn't drive him away from his home again? So that he could ensure that I'd stay away?

My stomach flopped some more, and I nauseously groaned into the sink, after I'd left the bathroom to nervously pace around in the kitchen area where the phone was located.

Before I knew it, I was crying in the bed. I felt horrible, I was emotionally scarred and nothing was going right. I was over-the-top worried about everything under the sun and all I wanted to do was sleep.

It was nearly one am- thirteen hours since I'd last contacted my AWOL fiancée- when I finally drifted off into a fitful, nightmare wracked sleep. I didn't sleep for long, however, because at six am, my buzzer rang to reveal a frantic Alice at my door, along with a beautiful blonde vampire I'd never met.

"Ali?" I asked groggily, "Edward said you were at the Denalli's..." I mumbled.

"Kate," the blonde vampire smiled warmly, offering her hand shake.

"Oh..." I muttered, starting to feel stupid.

"You look absolutely dreadful!" Alice cried sympathetically.

"We'll thanks," I uttered, venom in my voice, "I did spend the night throwing up and stressing out, you know."

"That's why I'm here, Bella!" She said impatiently. "He wanted me to apologize to you!"

"He really doesn't have anything to apologize for."

"He's really sick," She sighed worriedly.

"I figured..." I trailed off.

"We really need to go." Kate suddenly said. "I'm a friend of Ed's too, you know. He told me to give you this, and remind you to stay here. I would take you back to our house, but if things in Forks get out of control, our family has to be human-free and ready to help." She handed me a grocery bag.

"By the time either Carlisle or Emmett get sick, too, Jasper and Esme should be well enough to fight them off of the humans trails in town. Illness doesn't last long... He'll be fine, Bella." The girl I considered a sister promised me.

"Thanks, Alice. That means a lot." I sighed as they left me standing alone in an old hotel in the middle of nowhere... With no car, no money, and no food. All I had was this room which was only booked for two more nights, and the bag Kate had given me.

Peptobismol, 20 colorful hair ties, ginger ale, heating pads, a thermometer, and saltine crackers.

A note was attached to the side-

Bella,

Don't worry, everything's okay. I'm not feeling myself and I'm too afraid to risk going back to the room. I'll give this to Alice and the Denali's in case you still need it. Wait till I call before coming home. I miss you, and love you. Please get well soon. I hate to leave you all alone while you're sick l, but it's for the best.

Forever yours,

Edward.

I sighed. What was I going to do now? I had virtually nothing.

I wasn't feeling up to going anywhere, though a large part of my nausea and stress had been lifted off of me by Alice's visit. I was still sickeningly worried, and I knew Edward was downplaying things in his letter. It was easy to tell. I took it as a good sign at around noon when that day when I started to feel almost hungry. There was no food in the fridge or anything I could charge to the room- a small inn like this took cash, or it took nothing. I didn't have clothes with me to wear into the city nearby, not to mention money for transportation, so I just stayed in the room. What would happen when I had to check out soon? Would they be better by then?

Worry sunk into my stomach once again. I debated calling someone, but figured they were busy either dying, or taking care of the dying to pick up anyways and decided against it. No need to increase any stress. Instead, I paced back and forth for three more hours. I hadn't eaten anything all day and was starting to starve. The hunger that gnawed at my stomach all day became slightly unbearable at around six. It had been almost 24 hours since I'd eaten, not to mention the fact that what I'd eaten before then had been emptied from my stomach after the too raw steak incident. Again, I debated calling, and this time my hunger won.

"Hello?" Carlisle answered about the fourth time I'd called.

"It's Bella…" I muttered.

"Oh, look, I'm sorry, now really isn't a good time…. I understand that things are a little con-"

"What's wrong?" The words sped out of my mouth worriedly before he could even finish. There were a few clicks and stumbes around on the other lines, and a new voice picked up.

"Bella?"

"Edward?" II mumbled.

"Hey, whats wrong? Where are you?" He asked. There was an odd edge to his voice.

"I'm in the hotel, where you told me to stay…"

"What hotel? Where?" I demanded.

"You know where," I started, confused. He had a photographic memory.

"No I don't. I can't remember… just tell me where you are. You need to tell me now, okay? Where are you? " He didn't sound concerned, or persuasive… he sounded demanding. There was a dark undertone to his words, and though he wasn't saying anything threatening, I felt as if he'd just put a knife to my throat.

"I think…. I'm in Cape May, maybe?" I furrowed my brow, "Edward, what's going on?"

All I received was the sound of him clicking off, and the dial tone.


End file.
